The Fox and his Black Flag
by Ornstein the Dragon Slayer
Summary: The New World, a land filled with milk and honey the people say, but to others, it is rich with loot and plunder. Pirates roam the waters of the Caribbean, plundering those that do not bear the black flag, the symbol of freedom. One such pirate was known for his cunning, making his raids look like someone else did it, he was known as the Fox, Blacbeard's only son.
1. Chapter 1

**NA: Just got a personal request from a cousin of mine and sent me an idea, it was a good one and it intrigued me, so I bought myself a copy of Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag, and dare I say I enjoyed it greatly.**

**I am in Toronto right now for the rest of the week so the updates for my other stories will resume when I get back.**

**So since this is a fanfic, there will be changes to this world.**

**Another thing, I will be crossovering this with Pirates of the Caribbean as well, because Jack Sparrow is awesome.**

**Chapter 1: The child of Blackbeard**

A 46-gunned brig with a black hull and red sails bearing a black with flag with a white skull slammed into a Spanish frigate with its ram. The Spaniards were caught off guard as the crew of the black ship boarded it along with a young man in his second decade wearing a dark outfit with red beneath. On his chest were a pair of pistols with a second pair holstered on his hips, for more close ranged weapons he wielded a pair of cutlasses. He was a young looking man with bright blonde hair tied into a small ponytail, and blue eyes, but what caught the attention of most people were his birth marks that had the looks of a fox's whiskers on each of his cheeks.

The Spanish galleon's deck was immediately cleared with the remaining crew captured and tied up, "Esteemed crewmen of this… esteemed ship. My name is Naruto Uzumaki, yes I know it is a strange name to you people, but it is the name I was given at birth. Now on to business, if any of you make any funny business, you will be killed."

(Please sir!) the ship's captain pleaded in Spanish, (I have a wife and children.)

"Do any of you speak English?" Naruto asked them as he pinched the bridge of his nose.

"A little…" one of the other Spaniards answered.

Naruto just smiled as he approached the man, "Well tell your friends that if any of them try to fight back, they will be killed."

"Uh…" the Spaniard gulped, "…repeat, please?"

"Ah for fuck's sake." The blonde sighed in frustration before he turned to his men, "Just put them below deck while we salvage the ship, we can drop them off later."

"Captain!" one of the pirates called out to the blonde, "The Queen Anne's Revenge is approaching us!"

The blonde chuckled heartily as he turned to his left and spotted a frigate fast approaching, the ship was large with a crimson hull and tanned sails but as always like any pirate ship, it bore the flag of a pirate, black with a white skull. Once the ship anchored just a meter away from them Naruto nodded to the ship's captain, "Pa, didn't expect to see you here."

"Aye lad, was just checkin' on ya, you seem to be doing well since ya got yerself a ship a year ago."

The Spaniards gasped as they saw new arrival, "Blackbeard!"

"Aye, he is!" Naruto roared, "Now get your arses inside!"

The man known as Blackbeard laughed, his real name was Edward Thatch, a notorious pirate in the New World who was inspired both fear and admiration among the people. But an interesting thing was he was also the young man's father, having found him when was but a toddler during his years as a privateer in a small continent south of the Atlantic. It was a strange land, people of different races speaking in both and an oriental language usually found only in Asia, not many knew of the place. When he found him all the boy told him was his name.

"Tis' a fine ship you have here lad." The older black haired man said as he poured a drink for him and his son inside the cabin of the Queen Anne's Revenge.

"Aye." Naruto nodded, "The _Crimson Fox_ I named it." He pointed to the figurehead that bore a wooden head of a grinning fox.

"It's a good name for such a ship captained by you," Thatch said as he laughed, "you were always sly as a fox, even when you were younger. So what did you get yerself from this fine Galleon ya plundered?"

"Besides a few supplies, a couple of spices, and a few ten thousand Reales? Nothing special." The blonde shrugged, "I hear Kenway got himself a cove."

"Aye, he got it off some Frenchman. He'll be coming back to Nassau in a few days to meet with us."

Naruto nodded, "If he got himself a good home, I bet he'll be sending a letter to his wife to live with him."

Thatch chuckled, "How bout' you lad? I hear you fancy that barmaid Anne back in Nasau."

"Those are just rumors." The blonde snorted in reply.

"It would be nice though, to get yerself a wife to settle down with."

"And marry a pirate like me?" the blonde said while leaning back onto his seat. "There is no other life I would rather have than this, you know that. If I do marry, what would happen to her, my family? They would be affected because of the profession I take."

"But that Anne doesn't mind." Thatch argued, "She practically works for pirates lad, I'm telling you this not because I want to tease you, but because I'm your father, and I only want you to be happy."

"I am happy pa." the blonde smiled, "You introduced to me to piracy, and it is a life I love. It is the life I only know, it will be impossible for me to leave such a life."

"I hear ya lad, I hear ya." The black bearded pirate nodded in agreement, "Tis' the type of life we know best, and the only one we know. To leave such a life for something else would be inconceivable."

"To pirating, and to freedom." Naruto raised his glass.

Blackbeard nodded, "Aye."

"So the reason you think Anne could be a good wife for me…" Naruto trailed off, "It's not because she shares the name with your ship, right?"

"What? Whatever could possibly make you think like that?"

**XXXXXXXX**

**Nassau**

"So this is new Libertalia eh?" a brown haired man snorted as he walked in with a blonde man into a tavern in Nassau, "Stinks like every squab I robbed this past year."

Another blonde man was seated down while writing a letter, the first blonde looked at him and saw that he was looking at them, "Oy! Why the long face, you falling in love?"

"With your blouse." The second blonde answered. "You're welcome to Nassau, gents. Everyone is that does their fair share."

"Fair share?" the brunette snorted, "What is this, a fucking monastery?"

The first blonde cleared his throat, "We was led here to believe that this is a place where men could do as they please."

"Safe keeping others from doing the same, aye." Thatch replied as he walked in with his son.

"Captain Thatch." The dark haired man greeted him, "as I live and breathe. And what is this magnificent muzzle you've cultivated?"

"Why fly a black flag when a black beard will do?" Thatch retorted, "What brings you two gents this far north?"

He was about to reply when he finally noticed the blonde who was with Blackbeard, "So who's this lad with you Thatch, a bodyguard?"

"That's me boy you're talking to, and a damn fine pirate if I say so myself."

"You got yourself a lad?" the first blonde laughed.

Naruto merely nodded at them before turning to the former, "So, like pa said, what brings you two so far north?"

"The word is the Cuban governor himself is fixing to receive a mess of gold from a nearby fort." The brown haired man replied, "Until then, it's just sitting there, itching to be took."

"Governor Torres himself, eh?" the second blonde whistled, "Sounds promising."

"Welcome to Nassau." Thatch said as he handed the brunette and blonde bottles of rum, "Captain Vane, Mister Rackham."

Rackham ruffled his dirty blonde hair as he held a pipe of tobacco, "Now where can a man find a bit of ruff, y'know what I mean?"

Naruto just chuckled as he approached a table where a beautiful red haired woman was seated across, "Evening Anne."

"Evenin'…" the woman replied in an Irish accent.

Naruto sat down and fixed himself a drink as he turned to the other blonde, "So Edward, any word from your wife?"

"Aye." The man nodded, "She'll be coming here in a month."

"Does she know about your profession," the younger blonde asked, "or does she still think you're a privateer?"

"She doesn't know." Edward replied with a solemn look, "I don't know how I'm going to tell her."

"Well you have an entire month to think of that Edward." The younger blonde smiled at him, "I'm sure she'll understand, after all you got yourself a nice plantation to live in."

"If you say so." Edward chuckled, "What about you Naruto? Shouldn't you be looking for a woman to settle down with as well?"

"Who would want to marry a pirate and a scoundrel like me?"

"I'm sure there's one out there." Anne reassured him as she placed a hand on his.

The younger blonde chuckled. "Always the one to cheer me up."

"It's what I do best." The girl chirped, "I've been hearing rumors of ships from the southern continent coming here."

Thatch and his son narrowed their eyes before looking at each other. "How do you know for sure they're from _that_ continent?"

"Sailors say that they have them sails like any Chinese ship have." Anne replied, "They be sailing to Kingston before boarding English ships to sail up to either America, Europe or through Panama and head for Asia." She then looked at Naruto and raised an eyebrow, "Something you're not telling me Foxy?"

That was the nickname Anne would call her good, and he liked it when she called him that, "I was born there." He replied, getting Anne's eyes to widen in shock, "Pa found me when I was five, cold an alone in some backwater village, sixteen years to this day. But it doesn't matter, if they got some goods worth plundering, then we'll plunder it to our heart's content!"

"Aye!" roared the men in the bar as they raised their glasses high.

Anne giggle and rolled her eyes, "So do you plan on raiding one of their ships as soon as they enter the Carribean?"

"Yep." Naruto nodded, "I'm sure their ships are ripe with exotic items we can sell for good prices."

"Captain!" an African man ran into the bar and approached Naruto, "Word from Tortuga, a pirate by the name of Jack Sparrow-"

"That blubbering idiot?" Thatch snorted, "What the hell is he doing this time?"

"He plans on raiding a convoy of ships from the Southern Continent."

"Alone?" Naruto scoffed, "That man's idiocy never ceases to amaze me, makes me wonder how that damned ship of his is still floating. How big is the convoy?"

"Five Southern Continental ships escorted by an English Man O' War."

"Big, fat, and slow." Thatch grinned, "Now that is something worth plundering."

Naruto made the same grin his father was making, "Aye, tell the men we celebrate tonight, tomorrow we sail!" the man nodded and made his way down to the docks where the _Crimson Fox_ was currently anchored, "What about you Edward? Would you like to come with us?"

"Either the fort or a convoy of six rich ships." Edward contemplated before smiling, "I'll take the fort, I have some business with Governor Torres."

"Fair enough, Kenway." Thatch laughed, "I bid ye good fortune."

"You know…" Naruto began, "It would be really awkward if the ship I raided happened to belong to a relative."

**XXXXXXXX**

**Open seas**

Five Southern Continental ships escorted by a large English Man O' War was sailing up North to Kingston when one of the crewmembers of the English ship was ringing a warning bell, "BLACK FLAG! THREE SHIPS BEARING BLACK FLAGS OFF THE STARBOARD BOW!"

The Man O' War immediately moved to the front of the less armed Southern ships, the people wondering what was going on. None of them knew what a pirate was as they never existed where they were from. A youthful looking woman with blonde hair and a bust that could make men's heads turn looked into the horizon to see a black ship with red sails fast approaching, it was a menacing ship, with its figurehead of a grinning fox. The woman then heard one of the Englishmen shout once more.

"One of them is the _Crimson Fox,_ captain! The other is the Queen Anne's Revenge!"

"Tsunade-sama, are we under attack?" a dark haired women with her hair down to her neck walked up to her with a face filled with worry.

"I don't know Shizune." The blonde shook her head.

"She is still asleep," the young woman answered, "she really did not want to come along in this trip. Not since-"

"I know," the blonde woman sighed, "but she needs this. Maybe this trip will help her in her rehabilitation. Make sure she remains inside."

**XXXXXXXX**

"Would you shut your gob, Sparrow!? I can't believe you decided to try and take this alone!" Naruto screamed at the captain of the _Black Pearl_ that was currently sailing beside the _Crimson Fox_.

"Well you know me lad." The captain said as he chugged his third bottle of rum, "I aim to please."

Naruto scoffed, "Be thankful that this convoy is rich with plunder you blubberin' idiot." He then went back to the wheel of his ship, much like Kenway he takes pride in piloting his own ship, "Alright you lazy bastards, we have some plundering to do! Full sails!"

**XXXXXXXX**

"That's me boy." Thatch chuckled, finding it funny that his son intends to ram the Man O' War, "Alright men, full sails, we are taking down that Man O' War!"

**XXXXXXXX**

Inside one of the Southern ships a beautiful woman with bright red hair that fell to her back woke up after hearing panicking voices from the upper deck, she slowly moved to the small window to find a black ship with red sails fast approaching. She narrowed her eyes to see who were on that ship, she widened her eyes to see the man operating the black ship's wheel, he had bright blonde hair, blue eyes, and whisker marks… whisker marks that only one person she knew had those.

"Naruto?"

**NA: Well this is awkward, Naruto raiding the ship his mother is in… that is going to be very, very awkward. So yes Kushina is alive in this, but of course never knew her son was alive as she thought he died. She won't be much of a major character for this one, just a secondary, even if I did want her to be a main character I wouldn't know how to do it, if you guys have ideas let me know, I'll be more than happy to take a look at it.**

**Jack frikkin Sparrow and his idiocy, yes I love that guy, he's bloody hilarious. So unlike in AC4 where Tortuga is controlled by the English, this will be very much a pirate haven like Nassau. I need your help where Naruto's hideout will be, I was thinking it will be a cave in a cove somewhere up North, actually we can just make it Tortuga, the PotC version of Tortuga of course.**

**Naruto by the way is wearing Templar armor, how he got it he will reveal it later on.**


	2. Chapter 2

**NA: Enjoy this chapter me matey!**

**Chapter 2: Nassau**

The English Man O' War open fired on the black-hulled crimson-sailed ship, but alas all of it was for naught as the brig was faster. Despite the larger ship being more heavily armed speed was the victor of this battle, and the Man O' War lacked that crucial factor. Swerving left and right the _Crimson Fox_ dodged each and every volley the English ship could throw at it, only for it to dodge them. Then much to the shock of the Englishmen in the Man O'War the brig rammed them, causing heavy damage thanks to its reinforced ram. But the damage caused was not on the hull, no it was much worse, the ram hit the English ship's rudder, tearing it right off.

Naruto steered his ship as he moved the _Crimson Fox_ to the side of the _Queen Anne's Revenge, _"I'll go for the Southern ships!"

"Aye!" Blackbeard nodded, "Good thinking lad, but you be careful!"

The _Crimson Fox_ then moved itself to the poorly armed merchant ships, not needing to open fire and cripple them Naruto immediately approached the first ship and ordered his men to hook it. "Reel her in boys! I smell loot!" the blonde captain barked to which his men roared in agreement and went to work. As soon as the ship was close enough Naruto was the first to go in, grabbing some rope attached to his ship and swinging himself onto the Southern ship filled with what seemed to be armed men, at least they didn't have any guns, or perhaps they were planning on getting some once they got to Kingston. "Afternoon gents!" he greeted them with a vicious grin, "Lovely day we're having, eh?"

One of the Southern soldiers, a young one perhaps charged at him angrily, the blonde simply made him fall to his face and knocked him out.

"That was very rude of you, I mean very rude of you."

"Sensei?" one of them called out to him, a man with silver hair with a headband covering his left eye.

"Teacher, no I'm no teacher ma-" Naruto narrowed his eyes when he looked at the man, "I know you… Inu was it? It's been a while."

"N-Naruto." The man called Inu stuttered, "You're alive?"

"Aye, I am."

"What do you think you're doing?"

"Working…" the blonde said bluntly, "making a dishonest living."

"You're a bandit!?"

"Pirate!" he corrected him, "Jaysus, can you people please get it right? Now then, if you all surrender quietly, we won't have to resort to bloodshed, well except for that Man O' War back there."

"Sorry, but I can't do that."

"Shame." Naruto then dropped into a stance and raised his two pistol swords, "At least I'll get to find out how good you are, en garde."

Inu raised his little blade and also dropped into a stance, he knew he was at a disadvantage when he saw Naruto wielding two blades, not to mention those ranged weapons called pistols strapped to his chest were there for all to see. These weren't like the bandits back home, they were far more organized, and they were strong.

"Captain!" one of the pirates from the _Crimson Fox _called out to the blonde, "We found dozens of crates filled with medicine!"

"Aye, get them loaded up!" he ordered, "Well how about that." He lunged forward, his sword clashing with Inu's little knife called a kunai, "Not bad."

"Not bad yourself." Inu answered, swinging his kunai to the side and clashing with the blonde's other sword, "You're a swordmaster."

"Why thank you, that is very kind of you. But being polite in a battle won't get you an easy win." He jumped back and stabbed a shinobi before pulling the trigger on his pistol sword, instantly killing him, "But like your people, we don't play fair." He unholstered a pistol and fired it at another shinobi, killing him as well.

"Kakashi!" a few others entered the deck, one of them was blonde with a youthful figure, another was a dark haired young woman, and the last was a red haired woman.

"Well this is quite the party!" Naruto laughed, "Welcome!"

"Naruto…" the red haired woman trembled at the sight.

"I'm sorry, but do I know you?" he asked with eyes narrowed, she somehow looked familiar, like he knew her from somewhere, but couldn't tell exactly from where.

"Oy, lad!" Thatch sailed his ship and docked it at the otherside of the ship. "What's taking you so long?"

"Just meeting some old acquaintances pa, some of them very familiar."

Thatch boarded the ship with his menacing look, his long black beard that gave him the moniker with four pistols strapped to his chest. "Well isn't this a party."

"How was the Man O' War?"

"It's ours now, another ship to add to our fleet."

"Naruto, is that you?" the blonde woman asked.

"Aye, it is me, now who in the hell are you people, and…" he pointed to the red haired woman, "why does she look so familiar?"

"Because Naruto," the blonde woman began as she nervously gulped, "she's Kushina Uzumaki, your mother."

Naruto stood there, eyes filled with fire as she looked at Kushina, "What?"

"Naruto…" Thatch placed a hand on his son's shoulder, it was a never a good thing to anger him as he had a temper like no other, "We'll sort this out later, for now we sail back to Nassau with our plunder, we've taken the entire convoy with little problems."

"Alright…" He sheathed his swords and immediately went back to his ship. "I'll see you all back in Nassau."

"Naruto, wait!"

Thatch stopped the red head with a gentle touch to her shoulder, "I wouldn't do that if I were you, it's never a good thing to interrupt him when's he's upset."

"And who are you?" Kushina angrily asked him.

"I'm his father," he told her with a frown on his face, "well adopted father in your case."

"You took care of him?"

"Aye I did," Blackbeard nodded, "now would you like to tell me why you were never there in his life, or do I have to force it out of you?"

"I never knew he was alive." The red head answered immediately, "the day he was born I was told he died when our village was attacked. So I left, I lost both my husband and son on the same day I couldn't bear to stay in that village anymore."

"So you were lied to." The man deduced, "Well since your ships are now ours, we will be sailing to Nassau, if you want to sort things out with him, it will be over there. We're really lucky we found a lot of medicine here."

The blonde woman frowned, she could probably take him on but she couldn't risk getting the others hurt since their ships were now being held hostage. She also couldn't risk harming this man if it would only lead to angering Naruto even more.

"Alright ya lazy cockroaches, set a course for Nassau!"

**XXXXXXXX**

**Nassau**

Like any successful raid, pirates were celebrating in the tavern with rum and food going around. The people from the Southern lands were a bit nervous as they were in a whole different world. They also watched as the _Crimson Fox_ glided into port and anchored down, there they saw Naruto step out of the ship in all his intimidating glory, they never noticed it until now but he had a scar that ran down his right eye, luckily that eye was still there. His hair was slightly long and tied into a small ponytail. His black and red coat definitely gave him the look of a pirate with all his weapons for all to see.

It startled them to see a beautiful red haired girl walked up to his side, greeting him like a wife would greet her husband as he got back from work.

"Aye, that be Anne, a girl smitten with the lad." Thatch said as he walked in with a bottle of rum, "Of course neither of them would admit their feelings, well… all in good time. Don't worry, to the people of Nassau you all are just newcomers, they won't do anything to you so long as you don't do anything to them."

**XXXXXXXX**

In the tavern people were celebrating, Rackham of course was drunk out of his arse and fell of the chair. Naruto was with Kenway in their own table eating food and drinking rum. "So… a few more weeks and your wife is coming here."

Edward chuckled, "That's right…"

"So what are your plans once your wife arrives? You know leaving this life is almost impossible to do, with the maps we got from the Southern Lands we can finally go there and raid the ships coming to and from that continent."

"I hear you." the older blonde nodded, "For now I have to worry about telling my wife that I'm a pirate."

"Well at least you got yerself a nice cove to live in." Thatch walked in with the new arrivals that got Naruto to tense up a bit, "Peace Naruto, they're only here to talk to ya."

The younger blonde nodded, drinking his rum, "You know, no matter how many times I drink this, I could never get drunk, and I don't bloody know why."

Kushina looked at him solemnly, twenty-one years without him and she finally meets him, only to find out he was a pirate, plundering and pillaging ships he sees, the ship she was in being one of them.

"So how's the medicine we got?" Edward asked.

"We got enough, and even instructions of how to mix more." Naruto replied, "This will get Nassau's living conditions to improve, hell we even got a Man O' War to add to our fleet."

"Is this what you people do?" a young pink haired girl who was with the Southern people spoke up, "Take what's not yours?"

"We take what we want to survive." Naruto retorted, "You wouldn't understand how it works here lass."

Edward then brought out a map and placed it on the table.

"You're still going on about that thing Kenway?" Thatch said as he looked at the map.

"I know the Observatory is real Thatch, I just know it."

"The Observatory?" Kushina asked.

"It's a myth, a fairy tale." Naruto said, "That's all it is."

"You don't know that Naruto."

"And you don't know if it is actually real." The younger blonde retorted, "We're pirates Kenway, not archeologists chasing a fantasy."

"He's right you know." Thatch told Edward, "Let it go lad."

**XXXXXXXX**

It was late night and Kushina found her long lost son sitting on a stump looking at the moon that reflected itself on the salty sea, "Pa told me." Naruto spoke up without even looking back, "He said that you never knew I was alive until now, that your were lied to. In a way I'm thankful, if that hadn't happened I wouldn't be living the life I'm living."

Kushina couldn't argue with that, "Are you at least happy?"

"Aye!" he chirped with a grin she knew all too well, "No other life I'd rather live." He unsheathed one of his pistol swords and smiled at it, "Yoho, yoho…" he sung a bit, "a pirate's life for me."

It made her happy that he was at least happy with his life, but at the same time it hurt that she was never there for him, she inwardly swore to herself that she would do anything to make up for all the years she wasn't there.

"A bit of advice." He began, "Don't try so hard, you will only hurt yourself in the end."

"How did you-"

"I just know…" he smiled softly at her, "now c'mon, everyone's waiting back at the tavern."

**XXXXXXXX**

**Few weeks later**

"Nothing like a bottle of rum to share with yer son, eh?" Thatch chuckled as he poured the drink into two glasses, one of them being taken by Naruto. It had been a few weeks since the meeting with Naruto's mother and Kushina had decided to stay here to at least catch and make up for all the two decades lost with Naruto. The people of the Southern Land were allowed to return to their homelands so long as they trade supplies and medicine to Nassau, they were promised weapons so the agreement was easily done.

"Yep." The blonde nodded as he took the glass, "You know, sooner or later the Caribbean will no longer be ripe for pirating, but that's not for a long time. But soon, the golden age of pirates will end in these waters and will start anew somewhere else."

Thatch nodded with a small chuckle as he took a sip from his drink, "Aye, but then you did say that the Southern Lands will be ripe for plundering, and Asia too, don't forget that."

"We can become mercenaries too, I'm sure people would love to hire our skills. In a way become privateers once more but without being loyal to a country, only money."

"I can't argue with that lad."

"You can't leave a life you know best." Naruto smiled and said as he raised his glass.

Thatch raised his glass as well, "No son, no you can't."

**NA: And so ends chapter two of this fine story of plundering and pillaging. Yes we will be going to the stories of the Pirates of the Caribbean as well.**

**Anne might be or might not be the choice for pairing, while I do like her she's not one of my most favorite female characters out there, my favorite goes to Mary Read. **

**I will of course be crossovering this with One Piece as well, changing the world and making it bigger… WAY bigger.**

**I do not want Blackbeard to die so I will make sure he won't, and like PotB, we will be exploring Singapore later, and we will be going to the Elemental Nations and the One Piece world for some more pirating.**


	3. Chapter 3

**NA: All frikkin Naval Contracts for the pistols! I hate that, so much! But the pistols are so worth it, I mean they're bloody good.**

**Chapter 3: Tortuga**

Damn that Jack Sparrow, damn him and his idiocy, thanks to his… idiocy, he brought an entire Spanish Squadron on his ass, chasing him all the way to the waters nearing Tortuga, Naruto's as well as Blackbeard's home. "I should have him shot for this!" Naruto roared in anger and frustration as he steered the _Crimson Fox_ and rammed it into a schooner, completely slicing the poor boat in half. Not even a few seconds and an enemy frigate was coming right towards them, "Heated shots, load heated shots!" he ordered as he steered the ship to starboard, lining the ship's broadside cannons, "Fire!"

The volley of each twenty-three 4-pounder guns fired a volley of heated shots fired, littering the Spanish Frigate with iron caste cannonballs.

"Enemy ship's crippled, captain!"

"Sink her!"

**XXXXXXXX**

The _Queen Anne's Revenge _parked itself right beside the _Crimson Fox_ after the battle ended with the pirates gaining the victory. The _Crimson Fox _took damage and was currently docked into Tortuga for repairs. Naruto of course was not a happy man, his ship took unneeded damage even though they managed to salvage multiple English ships to add to their fleet and use others for repair. "How you holdin' up lad?" the black bearded man asked as he handed a bottle of rum to the blonde.

"Livid," Naruto huffed as he glared at the Black Pearl moored at the other side of the docks, "what the hell was Sparrow doing brining an entire squadron with him? We were lucky none of them even found the bloody cove!"

"Apparently he wanted to plunder a Spanish merchant ship." The father answered.

"He should know that the Spaniards always provide escorts for their merchants." The blonde argued. "That man's going to be the death of us, I just know it."

"I don't think poor Anne would allow that." Thatch said with a chuckle.

"I already told you, we are just friends."

"For now."

The blonde said nothing and just grumbled as he started drinking his bottle of rum, getting a hearty laugh from his father. That laughter of course got louder when Kushina suddenly ran into the pier and hugged her son tightly.

"Are you alright?"

"I'm fine mum, just angry…" unfortunately she didn't listen, "really I'm fine!"

**XXXXXXXX**

The Pirate Republic as every pirate calls it, a country if one can call it that. Agreements between pirates that no pirate shall attack another pirate or raid a pirate town, the only ones you can raid are those from the Spanish, English, French fleet or any other merchant ship. Ships with red flags signify that they are friends to pirates but not pirates themselves and cannot be plundered for they bring goods to the pirate town it is headed to. It was a good system thought up by Blackbeard as it meant that pirates weren't just mindless raiders that do as they please, no… this was more of organized crime. It was a little nation thought up by the most notorious and most dangerous of pirates, and every sailor in the Caribbean fear them, newcomers are also warned the minute they enter the Caribbean.

Edward Kenway was of course one of those very pirates, but right now he was facing a dilemma, a crisis that he had never faced before.

A ship with a red flag docked into Tortuga, the dirty blonde pirate captain shook nervously as he held a bouquet of flowers. It had been three years since he last saw his wife, and now he was going to see her once more. A beautiful red haired woman carrying her luggage disembarked the ship to see a familiar blonde man wearing a blue and white outfit… that looked expensive.

"Edward?"

"Hello Care."

"Edward!" she immediately ran up to the man and grabbed him into a fierce embrace while kissing his lips, "Oh Edward, I missed you so."

"I too, Caroline."

"Mother?" a little girl who was the spitting image of Caroline walked out of the ship carrying a small.

"Care… is she."

"Our daughter?" she replied with a soft smile, "Yes… Jennifer dear, come meet your father."

The little girl wearing a blue dress walked up to the blonde man, and just stood there. "Hello."

"Hi there…" Edward knelt down and smiled at the girl as tears welled up in his eyes. "My name's Edward, I'm your father."

**XXXXXXXX**

"Say it isn't so Edward, say it isn't so." The woman pleaded with her husband as the very man she loved told her the truth of what he had been up to these past three years.

"Aye, it's true…" the blonde nodded, "after the war that ended almost two years ago we took to pirating, we had nothing Care. We couldn't even go back home, we had no other choice but to resort to pirating. But it all went for the better, I even got us an island to live in."

"But you attacked the King's men to do this."

"The King doesn't care about us Caroline!" Edward argued, "He left us to rot after the war ended, we had no way home! All of us _King's Men_ were left to die."

Tears rolled down Caroline's face as she sat down, their daughter now sleeping in the captain's quarters of the Jackdaw while they were outside on the deck of the ship moored into Tortuga, "I just wish I decided to stay with you and not live with my parents."

"You know I couldn't take care of you back then, not with what I was." He said as he placed his hands on her shoulder, "But now I can, we sail for our island tomorrow morning, tonight you rest."

"Is this the life you now live?" she asked him as she rested her head on his chest.

"It's the only life I know best, and it's the life that got us a wonderful home, a beautiful home."

"I know… it's just that I wished that it were a bit different."

"I do too." He said as he kissed her to which she happily returned, "But I did all of this for you, and now that I know we have a daughter all of my work paid off."

"It did…" she said as she wept on his chest, "Thank you."

**XXXXXXXX**

"Still think yer not cut out for marriage?" Thatch asked his son as they watched Kenway and his wife enjoy a tender moment.

"I'll get there when I get there pa." the blonde replied as he rested on a hammock, "I'm just not sure if I'm husband material like Kenway over there, I mean he did all of his piracy for her and now he finds out he has a daughter."

"I'm sure you'd make a great father, I raised ya didn't I?"

Naruto laughed at those words, "Aye, you did."

"So what's bothering you from getting a wife?"

"I'm scared."

"Scared?" the older man snorted, "Scared of what?"

"Scared that I might end up becoming a bad husband, scared that I won't be good enough for her, but most of all I'm scared that…" he choked, "that I would have to leave the life of a pirate."

Thatch understood that completely, to leave a life, the only life you know was terrifying for his son, he was practically raised as one, growing up in a ship and a pirate cove does that to one. "That Anne girl doesn't seem to mind pirates ya know."

"I just need time to think about it."

Blackbeard patted his son on the back, "You can have all the time you need lad, I'll be always here for you if ya need me."

**XXXXXXXX**

Pirates, they were nothing like the bandits in the Elemental Nations, back there bandits would often fight among each other for the sake of greed. But here, Pirates are a united people under a single black flag, where people wish to remain free from the corruption of society, here they create their own and live as they see fit. That is what Kushina had learned the day she moved into Tortuga, where her son and adoptive father lived, where they are pretty much the de facto leaders of this little cove. The people here are nice, of course you get the occasional bar fights from pirates that just sailed in, and then there was Jack Sparrow, the idiot.

He was a good pirate yes, but an idiot no less. Naruto had lost count on how many times the man had annoyed him. And to this day he continues to do so. In her little home where her son and Thatch lives as well, Kushina sighed in content as she looked out the window to see her son directing the repairs to his ship. Despite not being there for him she was proud at the man he had become, even if he is a pirate he was a good leader to his crew and would go to great lengths to help those in need, especially when it comes to saving slaves.

Slavers, Naruto hated them with them with a passion, he believes freedom is a right, not a privilege. Slavery is something that should be abolished, but of course people would not care as many would believe a certain race or skin color is superior to another.

**XXXXXXXX**

It was still late night and little Jennifer woke up to see her parents spending some quality time with each other, "Ah Jenny…" Edward said as she called her by a more affectionate name, "can't sleep?"

The girl shook her head as she held her teddy bear, "Are we going to see pirates?"

Caroline was about talk when a blonde man around the same age as Edward walked up to them on the docks, "Evening Kenway."

"Evening Naruto." Edward greeted his fellow blonde.

"You sailing first thing tomorrow morning?"

"Aye." The slightly older blonde nodded.

"Are you a pirate?" Jennifer asked Naruto.

"Jennifer!" Caroline scolded her daughter.

"It's fine Miss Kenway." Naruto shrugged before looking at the three year old girl, "As for your question little lady, aye I am. My name is Naruto Uzumaki, or Thatch whichever you prefer. I am the captain of the _Crimson Fox_."

"Wow!" the little girl had stars in her eyes.

"Well I won't keep you two for long, I sail early tomorrow, a Spanish merchant fleet was spotted earlier and seems to be headed for Havana. I'll see you around Kenway!"

Edward waved back while his wife looked at the young blonde strangely, for a pirate he was extremely friendly, not what her friends and peers back in London have told her. "He's… very friendly."

"Aye, that's Naruto for ya, son of the infamous Blackbeard."

"Oh my!" she gasped, she head heard stories of Blackbeard, how he was rumored to be a demon in disguise.

"I assure you lass, it's all a show to scare them off." A gruff voice entered the vicinity, Caroline turned to see a bearded man clad in black with four pistols strapped to his chest and a cutlass sheathed to his left waist.

"Mother look!" Jennifer pointed to the bearded man, "Another pirate!"

"Aye, lass, ye have good eye!" the man laughed, "Name's Thatch, Ed or Edward Thatch, I was a fellow privateer alongside your father a few years ago."

"You're Blackbeard, aren't you?" Caroline asked as she stared at the man.

"Aye, I am." The man nodded, "The whole devil persona is just to scare me opponents off, better to use fear and avoid violence than suffer unneeded casualties."

"I see." The woman of course was relieved, this man was a lot friendlier than what people believe.

"Just like your dear husband we sailed as privateers before we were deposed by our _loving_ king." He said sarcastically, "We created Nassau and Tortuga for the purpose of taking in other deposed privateers and freed slaves, we have no love for slavers, and any slaver ship we see, we plunder or sink, or both."

"Tis a violent world we live in." Edward said distantly.

"Aye…" Thatch nodded, "it is."

Caroline sighed, men like them are always like this, no matter how much of it is true. It made her happy that Edward would do anything to make her happy, but it saddened her that he had to become a pirate to do it, perhaps living with him it would help her see pirates in a new light, as it had already begun after meeting the infamous Blackbeard and his son, whom were very nice people, not what like the public had told them about. She just got here anyway, and he can't wait to see the home Edward got for them.

**XXXXXXXX**

"Captain!" one of the _Crimson Fox's _lookouts pointed to a ship convoy, "Those aren't Spanish ships, those are slave ships!"

Naruto tightened the grip on his wheel as fire burned in his eyes, "Full sails!"

"Jaysus, there's children chained up in there!"

"We're ramming the bastards, men! We'll show them what free men can do!"

"AYE!"

"Captain, another ship is approaching the convoy at ramming speed, it's a pirate ship, bears a jolly roger with a yellow straw hat on its head!"

Naruto turned to see a ship with a smiling round lion for a figure head, it was a strange looking ship indeed, and sitting atop the figurehead was a grinning black haired boy wearing a straw hat, just what is going on?

**NA: Well here we go lads, they have finally appeared… er, arrived.**

**I am still debating which pairing would be good for Naruto so for now there will be no pairing until I think of a good one. Heck it could be a mermaid… who knows?**


	4. Chapter 4

**NA: One Piece is a fun manga to read, or if you are into the anime as well it is also fun to watch. But it's also bloody long, and I mean LONG.**

**I am making Shirahoshi and the mermaids differ here, so similar to the mermaids in PotC, they can change their fish tails for legs in order to blend in, so not exactly like the ones from PotC, but similar in a way. As for Shirahoshi, she will be the size of an average human, but her personality will still be the same, a shy easily frightened girl.**

**Chapter 4: Shirahoshi**

The _Crimson Fox_ used her ram to slam into one of the slave ships while its guns fired on the other, the slavers were caught by surprise as the pirate ship came out of the fog like a ghost ship, the crew of the _Crimson Fox_ immediately boarded the ship with their captain Naruto leading them. In one fell swoop the blonde pirate captain unleashed a torrent of lead from his pistols, shooting any enemy that went to him before unsheathing his swords, he fought like a devil, swinging his swords as they slicked through cloth and flesh of any slaver he came across, while he was busy the unknown pirate ship engaged the other slave ships, and it caught the other pirates by surprise as the boy with wearing a straw hat used his fists to fight. But that was not what amazed them, it was the fact that the boy's body could stretch like rubber, from far and wide, it could expand and create a large fist, the crew of the _Crimson Fox_ thought he wasn't human.

Naruto ignored them as his anger was still to be quenched, he roared like a devil, the same kind of roar his father Blackbeard would make when angered, his roar was loud and fierce, causing his enemies to tremble in fear as he charged at them, he pulled the trigger of his pistol sword, firing a round into the chest of his enemy, making the man drop onto the floor dead. Blood was splattered on his face but he didn't care, you do not anger an Uzumaki, the end results are never good.

"YOU HEAR ME YOU DAMNED SLAVERS, I WILL COME FOR YOU ALL, AND SLAUGHTER. EVERY. LAST. ONE OF YOU!"

**XXXXXXXX**

A purple haired man aboard the unidentified pirate ship gasped in horror at the brutality of the other pirate, he was extremely skilled with both gun and sword, shooting and cleaving any enemy that came across him, "My god."

The pirates of these lands were really different, they weren't even afraid of attacking the ship of a World Noble. And their captain, by god was he vicious, angered by the fact there were slaves on board, and now he was vowing to slaughter every last one of them. "Did you hear what he said Sin?" a green haired man wearing oriental clothing and three swords sheathed to his side walked up to her.

"Mm." the orange haired woman nodded, "I've never heard of a pirate have so much hate for slavers before."

The man smirked, "He's good with a sword, I'd like to test my mettle against him sometime. So where's our captain?"

"Fighting the enemy as usual, he went without you."

**XXXXXXXX**

"Don't you know who I am!?" a man wearing a fishbowl shrieked at the blonde, "You won't get away with this you damned pirate! You're taking my property!"

The blonde growled and immediately kicked short man, shattering the fishbowl and causing the man to gasp in shock.

"Now you've done it! I'm breathing the same air as you commoners!" but then he screamed in intense pain as his hand was crushed under the blonde's boot.

"You shut yer fuckin' mouth, _slaver_." The blonde said with much venom in his voice.

"Captain!" one of Naruto's men came running in, "You're going to want to see this."

**XXXXXXXX**

Naruto sped through the lower deck of the galleon, only for his eyes to widen at what he was seeing, "By all that's holy…" he whispered.

In front of him was a girl two to three years younger than him, with beautiful pink hair that flowed down her body like the sea, over her was a tattered shirt like many of the slaves in this ship, but what shocked him the most was her legs… no, not legs, a fish tail, a bright, pink, fish tail.

"My god… a mermaid, a real life mermaid."

The mermaid in question crawled to the corner of the room but the restraints chained up to her tail stopped her short, her beautiful sea blue eyes were filled with tears and fear as a man stood before her with blood splattered all over his face.

Naruto got a wet cloth and wiped the blood of his face clean before kneeling down to the girl, '"It's alright, I won't hurt you." he crawled up to her slowly and smashed the locks that restrained her tail, setting her free, surprising the mermaid. "See? I won't hurt you, I'm here to set you free. Everyone else, leave the room, I'll handle this."

"Aye captain." the crew obeyed without question, better to leave him be than anger him again.

"I'm Naruto…" he said as he pointed to himself, "Naruto…" he then pointed to her, "you?"

The girl said nothing at first but then began to open her mouth, "Shi-Shirahoshi."

"Shirahoshi… a beautiful name." he said with a smile on his face, he then offered her his hand to which she hesitantly took, "I'll take you out of here."

"T-Thank y-you."

"No need to thank me."

**XXXXXXXX**

The rest of the crew gasped as soon as they saw their captain walk out with the mermaid, they couldn't believe their eyes, a real life mermaid. A real life mermaid, being carried by their captain, like a damsel in distress, things were getting much more interesting. "Get me the doctor, she's got burn marks on her back!"

That snapped the crew out of her daze and immediately got back to work while the doctor led them back to the _Crimson Fox_ and into the captain's quarters. While all that happened the unknown ship pulled over to see the crew of the _Crimson Fox _hard at work.

Naruto of course got back out and smiled at his fellow pirates, "Ahoy there! I'd like to thank you for your assistance with taking down the slavers."

"No problem, shishishishishishi!" the straw hat boy said as he laughed weirdly.

"I'm right to assume that you're the captain of this… ship?"

"Yup!"

"Right…"

"Well then, you are welcome to Nassau, just sail to these coordinates." He said as he gave them a map to which an orange haired young woman took it, he was a bit surprised that there were women aboard but paid no mind as to not offend them, "You people are not from here are ya?"

"We aren't." the orange haired woman shook her head, "I'm surprised that you attacked the ship of a World Noble."

"That's what this bastard is?" he asked as he turned to the unconscious form of Mr. Fishbowl, "A noble and a slaver." He spat on the man's face, "I'll handle him. You people head on to Nassau, I'll be right with ya."

After the newcomers sailed for Nassau Naruto went right back into his quarters where the doctor and Shirahoshi were waiting for him, "How is she doc?"

"No signs of abuse save for the burn marks you told me about, only that they're not burn marks."

Naruto sighed and looked solemn as he turned to face the girl, "Slave marking… dammit."

The doctor shook his head, "We couldn't have known captain, had we known we may or may not have stopped them from giving her such a large mark."

"She'll stay with us for the time being."

"Is that wise?"

"Do we have any other options? She's a mermaid for bloody sake, if slavers see her they'll want to take her away."

"No!" the girl screamed in terror, "I don't want to be a slave!"

"You won't, I promise you that." The blonde reassure her with a gentle touch to her shoulder. "My father will help you, don't worry. Doc, tell the men we sail for Nassau, and send a bird to my father."

"By the way captain?" the doctor called.

"Hmm?"

"Was that a talking deer in that other pirate ship?"

"Yes…" the blonde finally noticed one of the crewmembers of those Straw hats, "yes it was."

**XXXXXXXX**

In Nassau, Ed Thatch himself entered the captain's quarters of the _Crimson Fox_ and nearly gasped as he saw Shirahoshi lying sitting on the bed, "My god boy, you weren't lying when you said I'd be surprised, where in God's name did you find her?"

"_Slave ship_…" that was all he needed to know as Naruto said those words with great venom, that also made Blackbeard growl in anger.

"Damn them slavers," Thatch spat, "and where be this captain of the slave ship?"

"In a holding cell below deck." Naruto answered, "I have plans for him tonight, for all of Nassau to see."

"Good." Blackbeard said with a vicious grin before turning to face the mermaid with a warm smile, "So who might you be lass?"

"S-Shirahoshi s-sir." She stuttered, "P-Princess of F-Fishman I-Island, d-daughter of K-King N-Neptune."

Both father and son listened in closely, and needless to say they were in for it, "Ah shite." Naruto cursed.

"Bloody hell, what the hell were these slavers thinking?"

"You think they could have known?"

"I don't know."

"We need to keep this a secret." Naruto informed his father, "If people find out."

"I know…" Thatch said with a nod, "since you found her, you take care of her."

"I plan to, but I can't just keep her in the ship."

"U-Uhm." Shirahoshi raised her hand to get their attention, "I can do this…" she said as her pink fish tail began to change into human legs.

"Well that's convenient." Thatch said in amazement as his son nodded in agreement.

"But…" the girl began, "I don't know how to walk."

"Shite."

**XXXXXXXX**

"Alright, easy now."

Shirahoshi was actually blushing like mad as the handsome blonde was teaching her how to walk, his arm around her waist while her arm was wrapped around his neck. For a human he was really nice, not like the humans from where she's from, actually everyone here in Nassau was nice, well at least the crew members of the _Crimson Fox _as well as Naruto's father Blackbeard.

"You're doing good." He said as he gave her a bright smile that made her face flush even more, if that were actually possible.

Shirahoshi was now currently wearing a simple dress that he bought her from a local outfitter, it wasn't some noblewoman's dress of course, just a simple dress that any commoner would wear, that way less attention would be drawn to her.

"Baby steps." He told her, "Just take it in baby steps, and don't worry, you'll be walking in no time."

"W-Why?"

"Hmm, why what?" he asked her as he helped her down to a chair.

"Why are you being so nice to me? I'm a mermaid, and humans don't like mermaids."

He snorted into a small fit of laughter, "Shirahoshi, here in these parts, we never even knew mermaids existed, we thought your kind were nothing but legend and myth. But I understand where you're coming from. Racism is an everyday part of this world except for the Pirate Republic, everywhere else the world is filled with hatred, and even more hatred, some through skin color, some through difference in politics, and others through religion. But here, here in our little Pirate Republic, we are free from all of that, you of course are welcome to stay here as long as you like, and I'll do my very best to help you get home."

The pinkette had tears well up in her eyes and simply nodded, "Thank you!"

"You," he said as he made his way to the door, "are most welcome."

"Where are you going?"

"To finish some business with that slaver," he replied as his face went blank, "all I can tell you is that his slaving days are over."

**XXXXXXXX**

"You can't do this! I'm a noble, a World Noble!" Mr. Fishbowl struggled and screamed as pirates dragged him to the town square.

"Not here you're not!" Naruto roared at him as his men threw him to the ground, "You think you nobles can simply do whatever you want, taking people from their homes and turning them into slaves. And you call us pirates a disease, criminals!? You people are no different!"

"You shut your mouth, commoner!"

Naruto planted his boot onto the man's face, "No, you shut yer fucking mouth! Bring him to the fort!"

The crowd roared in approval as the people roped him up and dragged him, making him once again struggle as he tried to break free, but like many hated prisoners, they barely contained any strength to fight back as he was left in the _Crimson Fox's _prison cell for days, without food or water.

The newcomers calling themselves the Straw Hat Pirates didn't know what to think of it, on one hand they were punishing a man for slavery even though it was legal from where they were from, but on the other, they were watching a cruel show. These pirates and civilians were torturing a man.

"I know what yer thinking." Thatch spoke as he walked up to them, "But he is just getting what he deserves, just imagine all the suffering he's caused on them slaves in his ships, compared to that, this here yer watching is nothing. And don't even bother trying to stop my son, he hates slavers with a fiery passion, and enjoys watching them suffer."

"You can't do this to me, please stop!" the World Noble pleaded as he was dragged by the feet up the hill to where a fort was now used by the Pirate Republic. There the people shoved Mr. Fishbowl into a small cage and hoisted him up. He was screaming at them how they will never get away with this, how they will all be executed for this crime. The people didn't listen, they were now all laughing at him as the man tried to break free from his little bird cage.

"It is done." Naruto said as he walked away, leaving the crowd to throw rocks at the caged man.

"Nice work ya did there." Thatch chuckled, watching the poor helpless man shield himself from the rocks being thrown at him.

"He got what he deserved. I'll be in my ship if you need me."

Thatch chuckled and shook his head as he watched his son walk back to his ship, _'Me thinks my boy fancies that mermaid lass, classic romance right there.'_

"Hi!" a childish sounding voice greeted him.

Thatch looked around before looking down to see something he probably could not comprehend; it was a talking, walking deer, wearing clothes.

"I'm Chopper."

Blackbeard just stared, and stared, and stared, and stared. First a mermaid and now this… he then looked at his bottle of rum to see it empty, "I most definitely need another bloody drink."

**NA: And thus ends the slaving days of the World Noble known as Mr. Fishbowl. He will not be missed. I really couldn't find a name for him so Mr. Fishbowl kind of stuck. Like anyone really cares about them World Nobles, they're nothing but scum. The fact that they were practically being worshipped as gods astounds me, I mean their cruelty knows no ends with the number of slaves they've accumulated.**

**Yep, Thatch meet chopper.**

**I think Shirahoshi would be a nice pick, I mean she has room for a lot of developing there since she is a very scared girl right now.**


	5. Chapter 5

**NA: As you can see, a lot of things will be different in this fic. An AU if you wish.**

**Chapter 5: In service of a noble cause**

**1 month later**

Shirahoshi woke up to the sound of the rocking ship she was asleep in, under the care of pirates she had been living quite comfortably, she had told her new friends of the land she lived in, where an entire race of fish people lived in a small kingdom. Where her kind was openly discriminated because they were simply… different from humans.

With her now human legs she slowly sat up and placed them on the cold wooden floor, it was a weird feeling, having legs instead of a fish tail, but it is the perk of being a mermaid, you can easily blend in by simply changing the form of your legs. She was still shy of course, easily frightened by the small outbursts of drunk men in the tavern, but as long as she was with Naruto she felt safe and secure. It was nice though, to see Luffy and the others once again after so long, it was nice that Luffy was still the silly guy she knew three years ago. Of course Luffy was still on that grandeur of becoming a pirate king.

It had been a month now since she had met Naruto and the others, the Straw Hats had decided to stay here in Tortuga for a while. She was still a long way to go before she could properly walk like a human but at least she was getting there, only a select few knew who and what she really was, the rest thought she was just some frail girl with leg problems, but nobody really paid any mind to her. The humans here were far different, they were nothing like the humans where she was from, here they were nicer and kinder to her, especially Naruto.

She slowly stood up and held one of the masts for support, slowly walking to her shoes as she put some casual clothes on for the day. Kushina was nice enough to give her some of her hand-me-downs at least, so she no longer had any problems of needing to buy new clothes. As she reached for the door and opened it, she was surprised to see Naruto just sitting there.

"Shira!" he called her by the nickname he gave her, which for some reason she loved it when he called her that, "You should have at least told me you were up, I could have helped you."

"It's fine." She blushed a bit, "I wanted to try doing it on my own."

He sighed, "Okay… I just can't help but be worried for you."

"I know," she said while giggling, "but I'm fine, I already promised my friend Luffy that I won't be such a crybaby anymore."

"Alright c'mon." he said while taking her hand, "Everyone's waiting at the tavern."

**XXXXXXXX**

"Ah there be her highness and her knight in shining armor!" Thatch teased them as they walked in.

"Pa please, stop that, the teasing's getting old."

Thatch just laughed as his son and the mermaid princess blushed, "I also need to talk to ya and Kenway as soon as he gets here."

"What is you need talking about?" the blonde asked as he helped the mermaid to her seat, food coming in from the barmaids.

"Despite the number of medicine we took from them Southern ships, you know we had to split it between us and Nassau, and producing medicine takes time."

"Just get to the point pa, what's going on?"

Blackbeard sighed, "Oprhans in Nassau showed up a week ago in a small schooner. All of them got sick, and we don't have the right medicines to treat them."

"None of the medicines you have can help them?" Shirahoshi asked him with worry.

"No." the father shook his head, "Kenway told me of a few wreckages from a Spanish fleet that sunk two years back when he escaped the day he got the Jackdaw, we're going to need a diving bell."

"Pa, even if we have a diving bell, those are shark infested waters."

"I can help." The mermaid put in, "I can talk to the sharks to leave you alone while you look."

"Shira, you don't have to…" Naruto began but was interrupted by her.

"You all helped me, I want to return the favor, I can help you."

"She's right lad." Thatch nodded in agreement, "You don't need to be so protective of her, besides she's a mermaid, I was told merfolk can talk to sea creatures, am I correct?"

"Mhmm." Shirahoshi nodded, "I have a pet shark back home in Fishman Island."

Naruto saw the determined look on her face and sighed, "Alright, you can help, but I'm diving with you."

"You won't regret this."

**XXXXXXXX**

**South of Florida**

**Wreck of the ****_San Ignacio_**

Three ships gathered around the wreck of a ship, the _Queen Anne's revenge, _the _Crimson Fox,_ and lastly the _Jackdaw _as she stopped near the _Queen Anne's Revenge_. "Devil in his hole, Thatch! This is a darling galley, thirty-two guns is it?"

The black bearded pirate burped after drinking a few gulps of rum, "I lost count at forty."

"And what of you Naruto?"

"Last time I checked I counted forty-six guns." The younger blonde answered as he checked his diving bell with Shirahoshi seated behind him.

"So what's her highness doing here?"

"She'll keep the sharks off our backs while we search, she told me she has a pet shark back home."

"Bloody hell," Edward whistled, "this girl here is a blessing to us."

Shirahoshi of course blushed at the compliment, no human back home has ever praised a merfolk before, and she was beginning to like this place more and more.

"You two really stepped up a rung, any luck finding medicines here?"

"Nothing' round this spot, sadly" Thatch replied, "But there a few wrecks round this spot that haven't scoured by nothing but crabs and coral."

"I'll have a look."

"I'll be right with you Kenway!" Naruto said.

"Edward?" a voice came in from the deck of the _Queen Anne's Revenge, _"Edward is that you? My goodness the west indies is a compact place!"

"'Allo Bonnet," Edward greeted an old friend, "a surprise seeing you here."

"I met mister Thatch and his son Naruto a month or so ago and Mister Thatch offered to take me under his Yardarms, so to speak." The chubby man said, "Says I must wash the hayseed from my hair before I'm a true pirate."

"Well good luck to you then." Edward waved at his friend, "Worst men have become better under Blackbeard's watch."

Bonnet nodded as he was handed a bottle of rum, as soon as he drunk it he coughed at the unique taste it brought him.

**XXXXXXXX**

Below the sea Shirahoshi could see the wrecks of the Spanish Treasure Fleet that sunk two years back, like she had promised, the sharks backed off and vacated the premises, leaving them in peace as they searched the wreckages, while they did find a good number of Reales, they also found jewelry and artifacts, some of them were even paintings.

Grabbing a few breaths of air from the small upside down barrels with small pockets of air, Naruto checked the other crates but found nothing of importance besides gold and jewelry. Deciding to call it in he signalled Edward to head for the _Queen Anne's Revenge's _diving bell.

Thanks to the mermaid princess they got out unscathed, she truly was a blessing to them.

**XXXXXXXX**

"Ahoy! Any luck?" Thatch greeted them as they got onto the deck of his sheep.

"I found one create hidden beneath the wreck, the elixir inside is…" Edward replied by spilling the medicine onto the floor, "quite spoilt."

Naruto cursed while Shirahoshi sighed in disappointment, the children in Nassau may be human but they were still children nonetheless, and to her all children were precious. "Oh dear."

"Plague and perish." The black bearded pirate cursed, "We'll have to steal medicines now."

"Hornigold won't take too kindly to that." Naruto said, "Not with the British fleet on edge these past few weeks. He's a pirate too proud to call himself one!"

"He prefers caution to cannons, Naruto." Edward defended.

"Caution's nothing without charisma." Thatch retorted, "For if a man plays the fool, then it's only fools he'll persuade. But appear to be the devil… and all men will submit."

Edward smirked, "And would you be the devil?"

Thatch grinned as he put on his hat, with lit fuses attached to the front, giving him an intimidating look, "For an audience, aye." He walked up to Bonnet who was still examining the spoilt elixir, "It's a big show. Give your quarry something to fear." He said as he stared down at chubby pirate in training, "Some hellish thing from a fever'd dream, and men will drop to their knees, PLEADING FOR THEIR LORD, before aught else. RRRRRRGGHH."

"Oh god…" Bonnet whimpered, Shirahoshi on the other hand hid behind Naruto who was still shirtless, thankfully she hid her flushed face behind his back.

"Looks fine." Naruto commented as he nodded in approval.

"'Course it does." Thatch said as he went back from becoming scary to being friendly in an instant, he then walked up to the mast of his ship and leaned on it, "You can find a quiet way to acquire medicine, tell me soon." He informed Edward, "Otherwise, Naruto and I will handle it ourselves."

And handle it they did.

**XXXXXXXX**

**Few days later**

A British Man O' War was under siege by the _Crimson Fox_ when the _Jackdaw _appeared, Blackbeard was fighting on the ground in Mariguana Island defending his ship from a cadre of red coat soldiers, the _Crimson Fox _holding its own against the ship thanks to its advantage in speed and maneuverability. But of course that won't last because of the Man O' War's massive number of guns and mortars.

"You stirred up a nest of trouble, Thatch!" Edward commented as he stabbed a soldier through the chest with one of his cutlasses.

"In service of a noble cause!" the black beard defended.

"Medicines, I hope you mean."

"Aye!" Thatch nodded as he shot a soldier through the neck with his pistol, "A Galleon nearby that Naruto's currently fighting, and if we crack these lobsters, we can go help my lad. Did all your book-learning prepare you for this scuffle, Mister Bonnet?"

"Not in the least no." the chubby man breathed as he defended himself.

"For certain there's more to be learned by doing than reading. Remember that!"

"You don't do nothing subtle do ya, Thatch?" Edward joked.

"Legends ain't born from mildness, lad!"

"Ah, gentlemen!" Bonnet pointed to the distance in the fog where cannon fire was being exchanged. "Our Galleon and the our Fox as has reappeared!"

"Back to my ship!" Thatch ordered, "Kenway, I'll see that you return to the _Jackdaw _later, we can't leave my boy alone to fight such a beast! I need a helmsan, Kenway you're up."

**XXXXXXXX**

Naruto of course was having a tough time fighting such a beast, his ship had sustained quite some damage even with the reinforced hull and upgraded guns, a Man O' War was nothing to trifle with alone, but he had to since his father was ambushed by enemy soldiers on the island, to his relief the _Queen Anne's Revenge _reappeared with Kenway on the ship's helm much to his surprise, and right behind her was the _Jackdaw._ "Alright lads, help has arrived, prepare to board the ship!"

"Aye!"

Once again with his daring strategy, he rammed the British galleon, taking out its rudder while avoiding cannon and mortar fire but not without taking more damage. The blonde leaped from his helm and right into the enemy ship, deciding to take out the captain to quickly end this he went straight for the helm. The _Queen Anne's Revenge _wasn't too far behind and immediately joined him in the fighting. The young blonde pirate quickly located the enemy captain and immediately clashed swords with the older man, like any British soldier, he had white hair curled up to the sides. But of course Naruto was far more skilled with the sword as he had spent his entire childhood, training to fight. Firing a round from his both of his pistol swords, striking the man's gut and making him fall down to the floor. The soldiers followed suite as they were now outnumbered and outgunned with their ship crippled.

Thatch then immediately grabbed the captain's collar, "I'm not a man accustomed to murder, captain. But if you'd taken quarter, you'd not be seeping now."

"Sack of muzzle, gobshite!" the British captain cursed the man while coughing out blood, "You'll be hanged and sun-dried, just as them that were in Boston."

"They won't know what happened here, Captain." Naruto sneered at the bleeding man, "Of course we can always make it look like the Spanish did it." That of course made the pirates chuckle as Naruto was known for making his raids look like someone else did it, they didn't call him a sly fox for nothing.

"Damn you to hell, Fox, Blackbeard!" the man coughed out some more blood as he cursed them.

"Captain…" a pirate crew member approached Naruto with a crate, "we've searched the hold, it's a middling take. The medicine we found though is just what we needed for the children, it also bears a 'Charles-Towne' stamp."

"Thank you, Mr. Hands." Naruto said with a nod.

"We cannot resupply Nassau and Tortuga out here by force and accident alone." Edward told them, "We should go to Charles-Towne for the lot."

"Aye." The younger blonde nodded in agreement, "I agree, Charles-Towne is a goldmine when it comes to medicine."

"Hello!" Bonnet waved at them from the _Queen Anne's Revenge, _"A-Are we victorious? I fear I'm not built for the fatigue and care required to be a Man of Fortune. By the way Mister Naruto, where's your lady friend, Shirahoshi?"

Naruto rolled his eyes, he had pretty much given up on the teasing even though Bonnet didn't mean it, "She's back in Tortuga with me mum, she said she wanted to spend some time with Shirahoshi."

Thatch sighed as he thought about the predicament that befell them, "Kenway, meet us in Charles-Towne, one month from today."

**XXXXXXXX**

**Tortuga**

**A day later**

Back in Tortuga as the _Crimson Fox_ and _Queen Anne's Revenge_ docked, Shirahoshi waited for them to see that her close friend's ship suffered extensive damage, she slowly rushed up to the blonde up to the blonde with her weak legs and immediately hugged him, "Are you okay, you're ship was-"

"Aye, I'm alright." He reassured her, "The ship will be repaired within a week of course, but a month from today we're sailing to Charles-Towne, the medicine we need is there."

"Do you need help?"

"No, there won't be any diving, but we are going to try and negotiate for the medicine, you will stay right here where you'll be safe."

Her face went solemn, "Are you sure?"

"Aye, I'm sure." He nodded while smiling at her, not even noticing their hands were together.

Thatch walked in and chuckled, "If ya two lovebirds are done, we should go in and get some grub."

That of course got them blushing, gasping as they finally realized they were holding hands. Wanting to change the subject he suddenly saw a familiar black haired boy wearing a straw hat screaming something at the cliff, "What the hell is rambling about this time?"

Thatch snorted as he saw the young pirate, "Probably screaming about being a pirate king and finding the One Piece, whatever the hell that is."

Anne the barmaid unfortunately noticed this, she then gritted her teeth in a bit of anger. _'Wonderful, he takes notice of her but not me! Dammit, I saw him first!'_

**NA: Uh-oh! Anne's jealous! If you are all wondering when Mary will make an appearance, fear not! So yeah, there is no pardon here since the pirates are much stronger in this story, in terms of naval strength of course. But how long will that last?**

**See you all later!**


End file.
